Subject: KY State Championships
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 1998 12:31:00 -0600
From: Bill Adams <BAdams@amag.com>
To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com

Let me start out by saying that I am new to Magic.  (Started playing
just after Stronghold was released)  That would make me the designated
scrub for my area.  I played in the Kentucky State Championship on
Sunday, November 1 and there was around 60-61 people entered.  (I placed
41. Better than I expected since this is the first sanctioned tournament
that I have ever played in.)

After taking many beatings in playtesting from the Stroke/Academy deck,
I thought this deck was incredibly powerful and thus would probably have
a major presence at the tournament and therefore I committed about half
my sideboard against it.

One of the rounds that I won was against the Stroke deck.  It went
something like this:

1rst game:
  He goes off on turn 3, n'uff said.
2nd game:
  I get down an early Energy Flux with much laughter from the passersby.
I then Sunder and proceed to deliver 20 points of damage with my
Seismic.
3rd game:
  After many pyroblast and Energy Flux capsizes and counters from the
other side of the table, I was able to Energy Flux and then Sunder with
him having 7 artifacts on the table.  (Luckily my friend, Matt had told
me the night before about the upkeep having to be paid before he could
tap the artifacts in question to save them.  More laughter here after
the judges visit.)  Shattering Pulse buyback saw some action in this
game too.

I want to say thanks to Matt, Joe, and Karl for helping me and putting
up with my newbie, mistake-making self.  I appreciate it greatly.

Bill Adams
Lexington, KY